Canberra’s Qantas Club vs Qantas Business Lounge

Canberra Airport can be surprisingly busy for a city of under half a million, but being the national capital, it's a popular destination for business and leisure travellers alike.

Its airport is also one of just five in the country with both a Qantas Club and a Qantas Business Lounge – here's how they compare.

Qantas Club vs Business Lounge: location and atmosphere

At Canberra Airport, travellers visiting either the Qantas Club or the Business Lounge take the same path upstairs.

That leads to a lobby, where the Qantas Club resides to your right.

Step inside and you'll find a large collection of chairs, maximising the number of travellers that can be accommodated in the space.

Most of the seating tailors to pairs and groups travelling together.

On the one hand, that can make this lounge feel a little 'squeezy' at peak times – but on the other, this Qantas Club offers something the Business Lounge lacks: airport views.

That's thanks to the Qantas Club's location, which sits along the 'airport' side of the building, compared to the Business Lounge, which faces towards the public drop-off road and other offices.

That said, the Business Lounge otherwise adopts a more premium feel, particularly through the use of furniture.

Regular travellers may recognise the signature seats, which also appear in the Domestic Business Lounges in Brisbane and Perth, and the Qantas business class lounge in Singapore.

As well, Canberra's Business Lounge feels more spacious than the Qantas Club, through the way the zones are distinctly divided along its rectangular shape.

Even though the Canberra Business Lounge is among the oldest in Qantas' domestic network – with only Sydney being more aged – the lounge still feels relatively modern and fresh.

Qantas Club vs Business Lounge: work

When there's work to be done, the Canberra Qantas Club provides a limited number of working benches: seen distantly in the image below.

Most of the lounge, however, is given over to relaxation. Power points are mainly found along the walls, which represents only a small portion of the overall seats.

There's a much bigger focus on getting business done in the aptly titled Business Lounge.

When there's serious work to do, the far corner of the lounge offers a number of individual workstations. This also tends to be the quietest end of the space, which is great for productivity.

Moving beyond that nook – which previously housed iMac computers, before clearing the space for travellers' own laptops – many working benches are found here as well.

Some offer natural light and overlook the main airport arrivals road, while other stations cater to more casual laptop work.

Although this lounge could certainly do with more power points in those areas, the bench above is where you'll find the most.

The Qantas Club and Business Lounge both share the same WiFi network, which churned out lightning-fast download and uploads speeds during our most recent visit, averaging over 190Mbps up and down.

Qantas Club vs Business Lounge: dining

On the beverage front, you can expect all-day barista coffee across the Qantas Club and Business Lounge, as well as bar service (beers, wines and spirits) from noon.

In the food department, the Qantas Club focuses on a selection of lighter bites – with a lunchtime visit finding soup as the hot meal choice.

Chilled Qantas Club snacks often include salads – a cauliflower mix on our most recent visit.

'Grab and go' dishes are also popular, such as a ploughman's plate with meat, cheese, and accompaniments.

Joining those, personal crudités bowls for a light snack.

Fresh fruit selections are also a staple, as are packaged snacks such as bite-sized slices.

The Business Lounge turns things up a notch, with more comprehensive versions of the same items, along with more choice.

A broader range of hot food provides more substantial options too, such as butter chicken and rice.

Of course, you don't need to wander to the Qantas Club and back for fresh fruit.

But for those with a sweet tooth, the 'tray arounds' in the Business Lounge can offer fruit in an alternative form, such as these apple-filled donuts.

Similar packaged slices are available as well – but often come in addition to freshly-baked alternatives.

It's clear that the Qantas Club ticks the boxes if you're looking for a snack or a light meal, while the Business Lounge caters to more substantial offerings.

Qantas Club vs Business Lounge: travelling with kids

While the Business Lounge excels for getting work done, the Qantas Club is instead the better pick when travelling with children.

That's thanks to the presence of a dedicated Joey Club section.

With child-friendly furniture – and even a row of desks with a view – it's an amenity not matched in the Business Lounge.

Executive Traveller reviews

For more information on Qantas' Canberra lounges, see:

Review: Qantas Club domestic lounge, Canberra Airport

Review: Qantas Business Lounge, Canberra Airport

Also read: What it's really like inside the Qantas Chairman's Lounge

Chris Chamberlin travelled to Canberra as a guest of Qantas.

Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.